Character and Story Design

Take a look at the slideshow below. Do you recognize any of these faces? If you've seen any movies in the past three decades, the answer is probably yes.

The fifteen people above are some of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood--the top-grossing actors of all time, actors whose careers (and box office numbers) have endured the test of time, and the most popular actors today. All of these individuals are very talented, but so are many other actors that you've probably never heard of. So why do a select group of people dominate the screen? Wouldn't movies feel more realistic if we did not recognize the actors, and could focus on characters instead? This may be the case, but don't expect blockbusters to start filling up with no-names anytime soon. These actors and actresses are more than just people...they are brand names. Their films are the product and we are the consumers. The power of these names to sell tickets is astounding. This brings us to the first psychological rule of character design...